Reply With QuoteThanks I will make an enquiry. Looks nice.Originally Posted by Bertie Wooster
Try the Royal Hotel in Comrie. Lovely place and very nice food. Good parking too as I recall.
http://www.royalhotel.co.uk/
Try the Royal Hotel in Comrie. Lovely place and very nice food. Good parking too as I recall.
http://www.royalhotel.co.uk/
Thanks I will make an enquiry. Looks nice.Try the Royal Hotel in Comrie. Lovely place and very nice food. Good parking too as I recall.
http://www.royalhotel.co.uk/
Booked into The Royal Hotel, so that is everywhere booked :shock:Thanks I will make an enquiry. Looks nice.Try the Royal Hotel in Comrie. Lovely place and very nice food. Good parking too as I recall.
http://www.royalhotel.co.uk/
Now I just to pick up the car from the trimmers later in the week.
Happy to help ! Be sure and try a pint of Ossian from the bar ! Brewed just doon the way ken ! 8) http://www.inveralmond-brewery.co.uk/cl ... ction.htmlBooked into The Royal Hotel, so that is everywhere booked :shock:Thanks I will make an enquiry. Looks nice.Try the Royal Hotel in Comrie. Lovely place and very nice food. Good parking too as I recall.
http://www.royalhotel.co.uk/
Now I just to pick up the car from the trimmers later in the week.
OK..... we are back complete with a large stock of photo's, fuel receipts and a surprisingly small number of car related gremlins.
I will try and give a narrative if our experience and a few places we visited along the way. I apologise for both the poor quality and excessive quantity of photo's, but bandwidth is cheap.
The original plan called for 1,166 miles while the reality was 1,568 miles due to local driving and detours. The first thing to say is that the car behaved fantastically well and I would struggle to think of a better car for the journey. The car is softly sprung by modern standards and I can only say certain parts of me are thankful for that trait. The lack of width, the capacious boot and good visibility made the journey seem alot less than the mileage suggested.
Our Journey started on the 3rd of July at home in North Manchester with Dalry near Ayr as our first destination. While I had originally planned to do a full motorway run just to get up towards Glasgow, the fantastic weather, top down motoring and, of course my beautiful wife, convinced me to leave the motorway at Gretna..........and that was the last we would see of major roads for the next 10 days.
Just after Gretna we were starting to be peckish, so we traveled a few mile off the A75 to Dalton Pottery Art Cafe, which I would very much recommend, particularly if you have kids. Not only was the sandwich, coffee and ice cream very good, but the setting was fun and kids who were there loved painting up their own pots as their parents had a quiet 5 minutes.
Following some refreshment, we continued to our first stop on the Blair Estate at Dalry.........wow.......
Luke and Caroline greeted us as though we were lost friends and were quick to offer us use of their heated pool and unrestricted access to the castle private gardens. They really were a very gracious couple and very open about life owning a castle.
Breakfast was, as you expect, very fresh, given they have their own hens :-)
The castle and carriage house is for sale unfortunately, but given the asking price of £8m + £1.1m, I suspect this may take some time.
Dinner was organised locally for us at the Blair Tavern, and the hosts were kind enough to book the Restaurant and Taxi's for us prior to arrival.
Day 2 saw us back on the road and trying to get fully into the more rural Scotland we were keen to explore.
Our destination was Melfort House near Oban and the day was glorious. The sun really did beat down again and we were starting to have a very rose tinted view of Scottish weather.
First obvious area of interest we passed was Loch Lomond. I have to admit to being slightly dissapointed, not I must stress with the beautiful scenery, but the lack of care the myriad of tourists were taking about litter. It seemed to be everywhere, particularly in Luss where the bins were overflowing to such a degree that it truly spoilt the experience. Quite literally, a 5ft area around every bin was covered in litter.
Lunch today was a cake and coffee sat on the front at Inverary. A lovely little town in a fantastic setting. A lovely stopping point.
A little further on the A83, we experienced our first little car issue, with a stone behind the disk. This necessitated removing a wheel (Yes, I found out afterwards that you DON'T have to remove the wheel) and giving the stone room to drop out from the guard. Panic over and an important lesson learnt....... get rid of the 16" wheels and get some proper flat face 15". The 16" use a spacer that, when you are on the side of a road are a right royal pain to line up correctly.
But never mind, a few hours later and we were at Loch Melfort and my wife fell in love for the second time on the trip. The very small lane leading up to the house was stunning and the house perfectly situated to take advantage of the view.
Afternoon Tea with homemade pancakes were served on arrival, and both us and the car had a well earned rest.
On a slightly technical point, I was using RainX on the glass, and found that it made getting rid of bugs a doddle.... worth the 5 mins to apply.
We had chosen to have dinner at the B&B and all I can say is... I should have taken photo's. Matthew is probably the best amateur chef I have ever had cooking for me. Very few restaurants I have been in have bettered his food, and if you ever get the chance please do stay there and have dinner.
Our menu for the first night was
Curried Parsnip Soup with Parsley and Soured Cream
Venison with Roasted Beetroot and a Duo of Courgettes
Rhubarb Compote with Orange and White Chocolate Cream.
All of the vegetables are grown on the premises, and if I have not waxed lyrical enough, it was excellent.
We had gone for the Hill Room, and although very nice indeed, the extra few quid for the Loch View Room would have been worth it in hindsight.
Day 3 came and the weather decided that Mull was not going to be much fun as the rain was definitely falling.
We instead decided that a trip over to Seil Island in the car would be a plan.
We crossed over the Atlantic Bridge which was built in 1792 and has coaches driving over it even now. But the view from the bridge down towards the sea is lovely.
And the petrol station is not quite like a busy Tesco
We then traveled all the way to the end of the road at Easdale, where life is shared by all.
Lunch was in Oban at the Oban Fish and Chip Shop
Recommended by none other than Rick Stein, and it was excellent.
Unfortunately, the fun for the day stopped as my wife got severe toothache and the rest of the day was spent in Oban finding and attending an emergency dentist, but even that demonstrated a difference to our normal way of life. The dentist called the next day to find out how she was.
I however, quite magnanimously I thought, had dinner anyway, and Matthew back at Melfort House provided another delight in
Cullen Skink
Roast Duck with Noodles and local vegetables
Pear Tart
They very kindly allowed us to cancel Vikki's meal and made a version of the Cullen Skink without the potato's to allow her to eat. Even though we cancelled the meal quite late in the day, they were insistent on not charging for it. Very good service.
Enjoyed this and looking forward to the further instalments.
Brought some nice memories back of places that I've visited, but too long ago: I think a Scottish tour might be on the cards for next year!
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
Day 4 arrived and it was time to leave Melfort House, however we will be back there in the future, if only for the food !!
The next part of the trip looked horrendous on paper, but the roads were nowhere near as bad as expected. The biggest surprise was the number of hotels at Fort William... or rather that enough people would want to visit such a miserable looking town to support them. I am sure there are good parts, but we didn't see them.
We had lunch at a little place a few miles before you get to Carron
which was excellent. The cakes were particularly good !
We found it very difficult not to keep stopping to take photo's
And eventually we arrived in Shieldaig which is very possibly the most picturesque village we visited.
At this point I have slightly mixed views of our accommodation.
The house itself is very nice, however, very quickly it becomes apparent that the owner is very much an eco-warrior and I have just parked my 5L V8 Merc in his drive. He is also a fastidious chap who wants shoes removed and a very well defined set of rules are given as we are shown to the room. However, once we had gotten beyond the thoughts of teaspoon placement, we grew to love the place. The telescope in the lounge was focused on a nest for a Sea Eagle and an Otter was spotted in the Loch. The views were spectacular.
Additionally, Thomas was very good in giving us help in planning our day out to Applecross with some different places to visit which are not quite as obvious.
Dinner was at the Sheildaig Coastal Bar & Restaurant, and was very good seafood. The smoked salmon was very fresh... it had been smoked next door !! This restaurant provided some amusement in the waiter, who was about 24st and French with literally zero social and conversational skills. He was so comically bad, he was good.
Day 5 saw a trip to Applecross which was a highlight of the trip. It did not look like it was going to be, as the road across the mountain was horrendous with heavy rain and low cloud. But once we were there things cleared up and what a fantasticly isolated environment it is.
After a quick coffee at the Applecross Inn, we drove down to Toscaig and I really found it to be calming influence on me.
Even the sheep are laid back
Lunch was recommended to us at the Potting Shed, which is part of the walled gardens. Again an excellent meal and probably a little more laid back than going to the Inn.
We then drove home around the coast and I think this is one of the best roads we took. The sights were different around every single corner and by this time the sun was starting to peek through the clouds creating fascinating light conditions. I think this was also one of the points were you start to appreciate the vastness of Scotland and an horizon which seems infinite.
And then afternoon tea at a fantastic little find in "Nanny's". A little coffee shop built into a corrugated shed in Shieldaig. We met a 75yo couple who were doing a 7 week 1200 mile tour.... on their bikes.
Great report of the trip, we have just returned from Applecross, stayed in the first cottage next to the Inn.
An idyllic setting for relaxation. The Inn looks lively, but we didn't get to go in the evening.
Day 6 was our trip up to Ullapool, which we decided upon the long way round through Gairloch. So a rather wet goodbye to Sheildaig
We visited possibly the best little coffee stop on the trip in Poolewe, called the Bridge Cottage Coffee Shop. The Scones came with the most delicious homemade jam and I can recommend them.... twice :-). It is just on a road to the left before the bridge if you happen to find yourself there.
Ullapool.........now this is very mixed. The B&B we stayed at was an absolute delight in every way. Ullapool itself was probably a disappointment to the same extent. The town is very run down in the most part, but I am certain that entertainment like this cannot be found anywhere else.
Tanglewood House was our home for the next 24 hours, and it really did feel that way. The welcome, the conversation and Henry the Bearded Collie made the stay very memorable. The house was built by a shipping magnate 40 years ago and was finished just in time for his wife to declare they were moving to Cornwall.
It is not only the front of the house which is curved. Things like the stairs also do and it must have cost a fortune in joinery !
The food here was delicious and recommended.
Day 7, and time to get up to my Dad's house. The weather was predictably wet, but also sea mists......so almost no photo's as it was so bad. We did the fuller route up through Durness ( Chocolate Mountain on the old MOD base is excellent for a coffee stop ) and over the Northern Coast.
but I can imagine the drive is great in better conditions. We did pass a couple of vintage cars coming the other way where roofs were not an option.... more hardy than me !
But just before we arrived at my fathers, the sun broke through and we arrived without the roof up.
Dad's next door neighbor
But he gets pretty nice views out to Orkney
Dinner was very cheap, but the chef (me) was not as good as some of the others on the way !
Day 8 consisted mainly of family stuff, but we did take the time to visit Dunnet Head to say we really had gone all of the way.
And then later to the unbelievable mess that £30k of lottery money has done on the derelict John O'Groats Hotel. That is £30k, yep really.......
A late afternoon stop at Brough Harbour & Dunnet Bay reminds me of why my dad lives up there.
Dinner tonight was at one of those places which you need to be local to find, but if you are ever up in JoG then I heartily recommend The Schoolhouse.
http://<br /> <a href="http://www.di.../index.php</a>
Ursula and her son David basically make whatever takes their fancy that day and you get a few options. Typically there will be something historic on the menu from around the world in addition to some more normal dishes. Fidget Pie or a Burmese Curry is just as likely as freshly caught Mackerel.
Day 9 & 10, and we are on our way home. The A9 is a pretty boring road, particularly so after the amazing scenery we have enjoyed for the last week.
We stayed at the Royal Hotel in Comrie which was a great stopping point being almost exactly half way home. The food was excellent, but in all honesty, we were on the downward slope of the holiday and we were feeling pretty tired.
Quite handy that we had a four poster in such a lovely hotel to sleep in.
The final day was a drive back down through Cumbria, over Ullswater and Windermere. My wife decided she wanted one last taste of holiday, so we stopped at Edgeworth Ice Cream Shop for her favorite Vanilla Ice Cream..... actually, the only thing they sell is Vanilla.
Given that Edgeworth is only 5 miles from home, you may imagine that is the end...........but then I hit a pothole and broke a damper. We got home but the car is grounded until a new one is sourced. So, in summary...
- We did 25.4mpg across the whole trip which is not bad for a 5L 1980's gas guzzler (Don't tell the bloke in Shieldaig though)
The did almost 1600 miles with only the first 100 and last 50 on motorway.
The car broke one damper, had one stone behind a disk and had a loose sun visor... otherwise perfect
My wife put up with me for 10 days without wanting to kill me (as far as I know)
We thoroughly enjoyed the journey and would not hesitate to do it again
Excellent read, would really love to do something like this myself but a 02 plate Vauxhall astra doesnt seem to give quite the sense of occasion!
I enjoyed that 8) We are doing Scotland later on this year but with a Jeep Grand Cherokee and a huge Caravan (not the same as your trip :lol: ) 2 weeks and will be taking in the lake district on the way up.
Thanks so much Jon,
Great write up and given me lots of inspiration.
I was driving around Ullswater at the 1st weekend.
Mx5, roof down. :)
Cracking read, I'm glad you enjoyed our country so much...... 8)
Thanks to everyone for their kind comments.
One thing that really gets me about Scotland is that, when you look at the vast empty spaces, you have to remember that the bits which are out of sight of the roads are even more enormous. A huge space with an amazing array of water and terrain.
I loved reading this Jon. It's practically an epic.
Thanks very much.
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